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BY 

D\V IGHT TRACY, M. !>., 1). U. S. 

EXGLAND GEXKALO.ilCAI, SOfl KT V - K E W VORK C EXE A LOGIC A 1. A.VU BIor.B A PH I C AL 

SOCIETV— COXXKCTirUT HISXORICAL SOCIETY- XEW l.OXDOX CODXTY HISTORICAL 

SOCIETY— THE FOUXDERS OF XORWIOU. COXXECTICCT, SOCIETY- 

CDXXECTICUT SOCIETY SDKS OF AMERICAX REYOLCTIOX 

(RESIDENCE 46 WEST 51ST STREET, NEW YORK) 



Thb Journal of American History 

New Haven, Connecticut 

MCMVIII 



^h' 



F O 



R 



E W O R D 



^^M^ITIS is the traijedy of a 

/ ^ I sciun of one of the no- 
■ I I Ijlest families of Rurope. 
^L "^U who, reared in an ancient 
^^^r palace and inheriting the 
ancient family arms, be- 
came imbued with the 
spirit of the New \\"orld, invested his 
property in vast tracts of its savage 
lands, came to America to enter into 
its development, lost his entire fortune 
and died broken-hearted. 

It is the story of a man's faith in 
the ultimate greatness of the Western 
Continent ; his belief that it would 
arise as one of the world's richest do- 
mains — a confidence in its future that 
led him to abandon a life of Old 
World luxury ami ease to cast his lot 
against fate on the unknown hem- 
isphere. As far as his knowledge of 
it is concerned his conjectures were 
wrong. The realization of his dreams 
never came to him in his brief day. 
lie lived only to see his visions dissi- 
pated, to find his dreams were mir- 
ages, to discover that the soil on 
which he stood was a quicksand that 
carried him to misfortune. 

This is one of the anomalies of his- 
tory. In the very moment of failure 
the embryo of success was unfolding 
— a success so full, so prodigal, so 
stupendous that more than a million 
of the peoples of the earth are coming 
in annual pilgrimages to partake of 
its abundance. 

This son of the Sa.xon kings was 
right! His prophetic visions were all 
too true. From his own financial 
ruins has risen a great nation and a 
great race to which he contributed 
Saxon energy. Saxon indomitability, 
Saxon valor, Saxon integrity. His 
loss was gain ; his failure triumph. 



\\'Iiile this heroic sacrifice lends ro- 
mance to the drama of American his- 
tory, it^ real significance is in the 
|)niof that the best blood of the ( )ld 
World was interested and actively en- 
gaged in laying the foundation upon 
which the greatest Republic of the 
earth has been built. It is of especial 
interest on this occasion of the ter- 
centenary of the first permanent Eng- 
lish settlement in America as it is at 
this shrine that its first scenes were 
enacted. As a contribution to the lit- 
erature of the exposition it is of nnich 
value. 

The discoveries herein related are 
of so real import to American gene- 
alogical literature that brochures 
have been prepared for public libraries 
and private distribution b\' the author. 
Dr. Tracy in a letter preliminary to its 
publication sa_\'s : "In my investiga- 
tions I have not found a town under 
the American flag on this continent 
but has descendants of this Saxon 
blood. I have found it in far-away 
Australia and Honolulu, and have 
traced it into most of the civilized 
countries." 

These investigations were officially 
recorded in The Jocrxal of Ami-:r- 
iCAX History, which is recognized in 
this country and abroad as the author- 
it)' on historical and genealogical mat- 
ters in America, and published simul- 
taneously in The Coxxectici't AIag- 
AZINE. These periodicals are bring- 
ing into print many hitherto unknown 
documents and their eminent service 
to the nation is of incalculable value. 

The editors take this opportunity to 
cordially invite genealogical and his- . 
torical researchers to make their dis- 
coveries known through the pages of 
these American authorities. 




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, v; 




ANCIENT OLD WORLD MANOR OF THE FIRST TRACYS IN AMERICA 

Exhibit I— The birthplace of William Tracy who came to Virginia in 1620— At the time 
of the Domesday Survey it was occupied by the great-grandson of King Ethelred 
— Print from rare engravinc; in 1713 when the estate was in possession of William 
Tracy, a cousin of the William Tracy who had come to America ninety-two years before 




UME years ago I heard 
the tradition that the an- 
cient Tracys in America 
were of royal descent ; 
that the blood in the 
veins of these first 
American settlers was 
that of the old Saxon kings. Dur- 
ing my long life I have listened to 
countless narratives pertaining to 
the Tracys, and for a generation I 
have given heed to them all and have 
followed every clue to its minutest 
detail. 

It is a matter of much import and 



its revelations are vital to the entire 
American people, for it is in the se- 
crecy of the home that all real history 
is begun. Only through the study of 
the family groups can be traced the 
development of great deeds or the ev- 
olution of government. The power 
behind the throne in all nations is the 
family circle which is molding the 
character of its citizenship and mark- 
ing the path for its future. 

One of the earliest traditions that 
came to me was that the Lieutenant 
Thomas Tracy, who appears first in 
the records of Salem, Massachusetts, 



luliraknt iCtuf of irsr^ut frnm iKtng lEgbrrt 



in 1636-7, and died at Norwich, Con- 
necticut, on November 7. 1685, was of 
noble birth and that his ancestors 
Hved on the Toddington estate in 
Gloucestershire, England. Although 
this tradition was wholly unsupport- 
ed by evidence, I took up the clue and 
began a systematic research. I found 
it frequently stated that Thomas 
Tracy was the pioneer of the Tracy 
family in America, but early discov- 
eries led me to believe that his father 
came with him to the New World. 

After thirteen years of continuous 
investigation, during which I have 
devoted my entire labors to establish 
the Tracy lineage, I am here pre- 
pared to state that the Tracys are of 
royal descent and that their blood is 
one of the noblest strains of the Old 
World. 

I shall here lay before you my 
proof — not mere inferences but gene- 
alogical evidence supported by exact 
transcripts and facsimiles from an- 
cient records and documents. As my 



investigations completely upset the 
voluminous genealogical dicta re- 
garding the Tracys in England, and 
wholly disagree with the mass of ma- 
terial that has been collected and pub- 
lished on the subject, I realize the ne- 
cessity of establishing my contention 
beyond doubt. This I shall do with 
photographs of original letters, docu- 
mentary proof from official records, 
corroborated by sundry testimonies 
from authoritative sources, establish- 
ing the genealogical fact that the 
aforementioned Thomas Tracy who 
died at Norwich, Connecticut, was 
born in Gloucestershire, England ; 
that he was the son of William Tracy, 
esquire, of Hayles Abbey, and his 
wife Mary Conway of Arrow, War- 
wickshire ; that this William Tracy 
was the third son of Sir John Tracy, 
the knight of Toddington castle, and 
h.is wife Anne Throckmorton. With 
this established, the line runs back in 
unbroken succession to Egbert, the 
first Saxon king of all England. 




^«*- 






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TODUINIITON IX iS.«-\E.\RLY FIVE HUNDRED YEARS THE SEAT OF THE TRACYS 
I,e Sire Je Traci. a Norman Baron, went to England with William the Conqueror and 
fought in the Battle of Hastings in 1066— His granddaughter, Grace de Traci, married 
Lord Sudeley, John de Maigne, son of the Lord of Toddington, connected with the 
royal line of Saxon kings — Rare print from an engraving made in 1840 in London 



\>^f 




A THOUSAND YEARS OF LINEAGE FROM SAXON KINGS 

Connecting with tlie Tracys in America tlirougli William Tracy of Virginia 
in 1620 and Thomas Tracy of Massachusetts and Connecticut in 1636 

1. Egbert, first King of all England, reigned 800-838, his son 

2. Ethelwolf, 839-854, his fourth son 

3. Alfred the Great, 871-901, his second son 

4. Edward the Elder, 901-925, his second son 

5. Edmund I, 941-946, his second 

6. Edgar, 951-975, his first son by second wife 

7. Ethelred, 978-1015. his youngest daughter Princess 

8. Goda, married first ^^'alter de ]\Iaigne, (de Medantine, de ^lan- 
tese, etc.) a Norman Nobleman. 

9. Rudolph de Maigne, Earl of Hereford. 

10. Harold de Maigne, Lord of Sudeley and Toddington. 

11. John de Maigne, Lord Sudeley, married Grace de Traci, dau. of 
Henry de Traci, feudal Lord of Barnstaple and grandau. of Le Sire de 
Traci' a Norman Baron who went to England with William the Conqueror 
and was in the battle of Hastings. 1066: his name is in the roll of Battle 
Abbey. 

12. Sir William de Traci, son of aforementioned John de Maigne and 
Grace de Traci, who assumed his mother's name of Traci; High Sheriff, 
1269; Knight. 1289. 

13. Sir William de Traci, High Sheriff, 1319. 

14. Sir Henry de Tracy. 

15. Sir Henry de Tracy. 

16. Sir John Tracy, High Sheriff', 1359 to 1362. 

17. Sir John Tracy. High Sheriff, 1363-8-70: Knight of the Shire, 
32-37-40-and 43 of Edward HI. 

18. Henry Tracy, Esquire. 

19. Sir John Tracy, Lligh Sheriff, 1379. 

20. Sir WilHam Tracy, High Sheriff, 1416; m. Alice de la Spine. 

21. Sir William Tracy, High Sheriff", 1442-3. 

22. Sir William Tracy, High Sheriff', died ante 21 Henry VII, High 
Sheriff 1513. m. ^Margery Pauncefort 1449. 

23. Sir Henry Tracy, High Sheriff', m. Alice Baldington. 

24. Sir William Tracy, Knight, m. Margaret Throckmorton. 

25. Sir William Tracy, m. Agnes Digby. 

26. Sir Henry Tracy, m. Elizabeth Bridges. Will proved Sept., 1557. 

27. Sir John Tracy, Knight, m. Anne Throckmorton. Knighted 1574. 

28. Gov. William Tracy, of Hayles Abbey m. Mary Conway. He 
qualifies for the Societies of Americans of Royal Descent and Colonial 
Governors. Immigrated to Virginia in 1620. 

29. Lt. Thomas Tracy, of Massachusetts and Connecticut, m. three 
times. Children all by first wife, whose name is unknown. 

From this progenitor is infused tlie blood of the Saxon Kings into the American Race— Its descendants are 
scattered tliroughout the Nation and the world — Nearly every English-speaking municipality in the United 
States has this Saxon blood in its composite cili/.enship — It has been traced from America to the Orient, to 
Australia and Honolulu, and to most of the civilized countries, and has built a strong race of men 



Mnbrnkmi IGtup of BtBcmt frnm King lEgbi^rt 

In proof of the unbroken chain alogists have disaereed on certain 

from Egbert, the first Saxon king, points ; but the main contention is so 

down twenty-eight generations to Wil- i well established that these exhibits are 

Ham Tracy (28) of Hayles Abbey, conclusive proof. (Exhibits 2 and 3.) 

who married Mary, the daughter of The Tracy lineage, as given by 

Sir John Conway, of Arrow, County , former genealogists of the family, 

of Warwick, sister of Lord Conway, I ! was substantially correct, down to the 

present a photographic reproduction children of Sir William Tracy, 

of the two pages from Britton's Tod- Knight {24), who married Margaret 

dington, published in 1840, and an Throckmorton. They (the genealo- 

English authority. In investigating gists), aj.yi/;«t'(f that the line from this 

these lines I find that the gene- Sir William (24) was through his 



Thk 1 uliUlNf.ToN. ur Tbacy Family, IS descended, on the paternal side, from Ethelred. whose daughter, Goda, inaiTicd Walter. 
Karl of Mauiitz, a noMt Nonnau. From this marriage came Ralph, who was created Earl of Hereford bv his uncle, Edward 
the (:ontf>snr. Harold, son of Italph, niairied Maud, dan_'hter of Hugh Lupus, Ear! of Chester, arid nephew to V.'illiain the 
Conrjueror. Tkis Harold, who settled at Sudeley and Todiliiigtou, had two sons, lUlph and John; llie latter of whom married 
Ciim-e, daughter of William ,1,. Traci, natural son of King Henry the First. Their offspring were Ralph and William ; the last 
assiimeil his mother's iiaiiie of Thai i, ami rctaineil tlie fiuiily arms of Sudeley, with an escalop-slieli for difference. 



King Ethelreq. 



T 

Ralph, Ear! of Herpford, lived in tlie reign of Kiii({ EJwaid the Coiifeiio 



OLD," Baron of Siiilelcy, 



Juiis deSvdelev, Lnrdnf tit.dfipy=pGnAt E.ditit({li;er of William de Tracy, or Traci, Uaron ut Barnsta^ile. 



K,u.ni, lUnoN o» ^Si DEtEV, romiHed the Priory William oe Track lieM Toddincion, Ac. of liis Broihei RalpL, 

of EitTiBi'RT, ill tlie Coiiixy of Warwick. hy lliesertiLe of one kiiitrlit's fee. leiiip. Henry II + 

/'or thix y^Jiffret, vi<(e page v. = 

Olh Eu Tincv, 1201. paid sculage tbe 2d of Kii.g Jolin. as one of lUe KiiJgliW .-f Mtitiresier>lii,e. 

Sill U'lLl lAM TliACv, VlGOi made Hipli Slieriff of the C.'iintv nf GloticfSter tiv the Baroin of the Earl of Leicester's parly, iii opjiosilion lo i»I. de 
Uesaile. h F.i-mli kiiiglit, wl,u «« put into tlmt olfice l.v the kiiij:'* j.artv. He nin, me .>f the Koi^jht* of GhmceMcrshir;;. 12(J!); commanded in Pcoilaud • 
under Kd.i-ard the First, whiilier he was nmimpaiiied l>y his kim'man, Kalpli de Sudeley; ajid was ibrirt High Slicriff of Ghmcesiersliue. 

.■Sill M'li.i i.oi TbaCVi (rented in nr-rd to Lanreiire Tre«hnm. I2un. was piTWtit at ilie loHrimment held 
nt Uimisiitple by Ldward lUc Setuud : made High ShenlF ol the County of Ghnu'ester. V.l\0. 

Hekhv TllAiY, ;ilargerji=j.ilin Artlier. of I'm'iershide. 



Tiif..MAS TnACY, High Slieriff of Cloucestershire from I.'130 to I3lli». 

( .!f.nM TnACY, Knitrhl. Ilii^h ShciifTof the County of 0!nu«^ter, lUllS. (18,71); Kni(iht of the Shire. :i2,a7, Jll, and l3il of Edward III., hy nliom l>e 
t kniuhted, niid .lupninled ti> seiure the low landa bet»*-eeii Bfintol and Olnncester. He gave iho advowjoii i>f Toddinfton to the Ahlwy ol Halleo, 

27tliEd«;.fd III. 



.toiiN Tracv, Higli Sheriff of ibe County of CI jncester, 137!>. 



V, High Sl.eriff of the County of Glo, 



{ Conli:iurd next pagt. ) 

• -W lh» ii.ncorih*< on.iutrnti lurvcv. lla'aM. um to Rali>h. EMlof Httrfnnt nhtilninc E-^at. in Hcrd'aT'lihlrF. (oundnl ihrre a IKilc fiUay tit monki at M. 

I«Tm n. KtHfi Ert««il ihr Canft^af, Jivi .ultWwl ih» WriOi lu .iittr Iftat cliy uU Dtiicilicri.'rrtei."— Ouf.DAi..« tt.,.jiniT. »t.t. ,. r. 4M. 

At*\ret llliT fl«l.l»inc [.o»*«»iil ..f Ih* Umlrfilpof flortcnlMi. in Bb>> Jiltn HKtw. , ^ „,^ ,,, 1,ir\. nth Filmft*. Mnn.>. iixl BtltO, 0« BdttoH, i.rjrJrtnl 



MNEAGE OF THE TRACYS IN ENGLAXD PROM ROYAL LINE OP SAXOM KINGS 
E.Thibit 2— Photograpliic Reproductioti from Genealogical Chart by J. Britton of London in 1840 



®I)? Pra5?nx| of Bnxm Moxxnxtl^B in Amprira 









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LINEAGE FROM SAXON ROYALTY TO FIRST TRACY TO IMMIGRATE TO AMERICA 
Exhibit 3 - Continuation of Chart from preceding page, completing record of William Tracy who married 
Mary, daughter of Sir John Conway, of Arrow, County of Warwick, sister of Lord Conway -The record 
stating that he died wi*thout issue is disproved in exhibits on following pages, and this William Tracy 
of Hayles. who came to Virginia in 1620, is proved to have had a son Thomas Tracy with him in America 



third son Richard, down to a 
Thomas ; and that this Thomas was 
the Thomas Tracy who was on rec- 
ord, first in Salem, Massaclnisetts, 
1636-7, etc. 

My discoveries prove that the hne 
continued from this Sir Wilham 
(24), not through Richard, but 
through his (Richard's) eldest 
brother. Sir William (25), the heir to 
the Toddington and Sudeley estates ; 
and so on down through the eldest 
sons to William Tracy, Esquire (28), 
the third son of Sir John Tracy, 
Knight (27), who married Anne 
Throckmorton ; and that this William 
Tracy (28) came to Virginia Sep- 
tember. 1620, in the ship "Supply" 
with his young son Thomas (29), 
etc., where he was a Councillor of 
State and Governor of Berkeley Col- 
onv or Hundred. He arrived in \'ir- 



ginia, before the Pilgrims landed in 
Plymouth. 

This line, from Sir William 
Tracy, Knight {24), down to Lieu- 
tenant Thomas (29) of Norwich, 
Connecticut, constitutes the "missing 
link" in the line which has been so 
long sought, and which completes the 
pedigree chain, and indissolubly con- 
nects the descendants in America of 
this Governor William Tracy (28) 
and his only son Thomas (29), later 
Lieutenant in Norwich, Connecticut, 
with their Royal ancestors, the Saxon 
Kings of England. 

Britton, in his Toddington chart, in 
the account of the children of Sir 
John Tracy. Knight. (No. 27 in this 
paper) records that William Tracy 
(28) (brother of Sir Thomas Tracy, 
Knight) married Alary Conway, etc., 
and died s. p.. that is. without issue. 



Unltrnknt ^£xm of ipsrntt from King lEgbrrt 




'm^^ 







RICH DRAWING ROOM IN ANCIENT TODDINGTON— THE HOUSE OP THE TRACYS 
Print from engraving made in iS^o when the estate was in no-session of Lord 
S-udeley who was Charles Hanbury Tracy, descendant of the ancient Saxon Rulers 



This "without issue" statement is 
proved to be an error by the records 
of the Virginia Company (Exhibit 7) 
which show that the William Tracy 
(28) who went to Virginia in 1620 
was a brother of Sir Thomas Tracy, 
Knight (Exhibit 11) and that he took 
with him in the ship "Supply" his 
wife Mary, daughter Jovce and 
son Thomas (29) and this Todding- 
ton chart of Britton's shows that the 
parents of these two brothers— Sir 
Thomas, Knight, and William (28) 
who married Mary Conway, etc., 
were Sir John Tracy, Knight, and 
Anne Throckmorton his wife. 

^^'illiam Tracy. Esquire, (28) w . 
born in the Toddington Manor-house, 
where his ancestors had lived for 
more than four hundred years. 

Sir Robert Atkyns, in his history 
of Gloucestershire written in 1712, 
gives the following interesting ac- 
count rif Ti)(l(lin<;tnn. nn page 409 



and a picture of the Manor-house, as 
it was in 171 2 (See Exhibit i) : 

Tliis parish lies in the lower part of 
Kiftsgate hundred, si.x miles distant north- 
east from Tewksbury. four miles north 
from Winchcourt. and fourteen miles 
north-east from Glocester. Earl Randulfe 
held Todintun in the reign of King Wil- 
liam the Conqueror, his son held it in the 
same reign. It was taxed at ten Iiides; 
there were twenty-one plow-tillages, 
whereof three were in demean ; there were 
two water-mills, and fifty measures of salt 
belonging to the manor. This together 
with the manor of Sudeley. paid a yearly 
rent of 40I (pounds) in King Edward's 
reign. The manor of Todington, at the 
Norman conquest was held of the manor 
of Sudeley. The abbe of Tewksbury had 
a grant of Court-lest. waifs and felons 
goods, in the reign of King William the 
Second, and their grant was allowed in a 
writ of Quo IVarraiito brought against 
them 15 Ed. I. 

The family of the Tracys have been very 
anciently lords of this manor, and is de- 
scended from the blood royal of the Saxon 
kings of England. Ethelred. son of King 
Edgar, obtained the crown of England at 



®l|p JProg^ng nf B>axnu iEmtarrliB m Am^rtra 







MONASTERY FOUNDED IN 1246 BY EARL OP CORNWALL, LATER KING OF THE ROMANS 

Exhibit 4— Hayles Abbey became part of Toddington in ijs7. and was occupied by William 
Tracy wiien he became interested in New World exploitations which resulted in his 
financial ruin and the establishment of the Tracys in America — Rare print in 171J 



twelve years of age, 979. His reign was 
remarkable for his long and bloody wars 
with the Danes, and for the general mas- 
sacre of them in the year 1002. He died 
1016 and left eight sons and four daugh- 
ters. GoDA, the youngest of king Ethel- 
red's daughters was married to Walter de 
Maigne (or de Mantine or de Mantes or 
de Mantz etc.) a nobleman in Normandy. 
Ralph (Rudolph etc.) son of Goda and 
Walter de Maigne was Earl of Hereford. 
Harold son of Ralph was lord of Sudeley; 
and the Tracys do now give the saine arms 
as this lord Sudeley gave, only with an 
escollup shell for difference. John the son 
of Harold married Grace the daughter of 
(Henry de) Traci, lord of Barnstaple in 
Devonshire. William Traci. second son 
of John, lived in the reign of King Henry 
the Second, and took his mother's nanse 
Traci. He held lands of his brother Ralph 
de Sudeley by one knight's fee, and was of 
the same name (de Maigne) and is sup- 
posed by some to be one of the four 
knights who murdered Thomas Becket 



archbishop of Canterbury. Oliver Tracy, 
son of William, lived in the second year 
of King John, and had issue Sir William 
Traci of Todington, who lived in 17 Ed. I. 
and was granted in wardship of I^awrence 
Fresham 1298. He was high-sheriff of 
Gloucestershire 1319. John Archer son of 
John of the ancient family of Archers in 
Warwickshire married Margaret daughter 
of this Sir William Tracy of Todington, in 
the reign of Edward the Second. (And 
son down. ) 

To give a full understanding of this 
ancestral estate, from which I am to 
prove the Tracys in America came, 
and to further corroborate the evi- 
dence that it was the home of the 
Tracys in England, I quote these lines 
which I find in a volume publisiied in 
London in 1810, written by Edward 
Wedlake Brayley and John Britton, 
entitled "The Beauties of Ensrland and 



Hnbrnkftt Htn? at Irsr^nt from SCtug lEgbrrt 



Wales; or DeliiieatiDiis Typo,<:^raplii- 
cal, Historical and Descriptive," vol- 
ume 5, page 658: 

The manor of Toddington. at the time 
of tlie Domesday Survey, was held by 
Herald, grandson of Goda, youngest 
daughter of Etheldred. His son John de 
Sudeley. married Grace, daughter of 
Henry dc Traci, Lord of Barnstaple, in 
Devonshire, in the reign of King Stephen, 
and it has continued in their successors till 
the present time; being now the property 
of Charles Hanbury Trac}-. Esq.. who in 
the year 1798 married the Hon. Henrietta 
Susannah, daughter and sole lieiress of the 
late Lord Viscount Tracy. ToriDiNCTON 
House, the ancient seat of this noble fam- 
ily, is a spacious building; it was erected 
about the latter end of the seventeenth 
century and is now undergoing some re- 
pairs to adapt it to the present style of liv- 
ing, it having been lately partly destroyed 
by fire. The gardens and pleasure grounds 
are disposed in the modern style; the park, 
which lies on the south of the Manor- 
house is well planted, and includes about 
150 acres ; it abounds with rabits. In the 
chancel of Toddington Church are pre- 
served nine figures of Apostles decently 
finished, and about eighteen inches in 
length, supposed to Iiave been brought 
from the Chapel of Hayles Abbey. 

The manor of Todington has contin- 
ued in the name of Tracy from the begin- 
ning of the reign of Edward the first to the 
present time (1810) which is the space of 
four hundred and fifty years, -as their an- 
-cestors were more anciently of Gloucester- 
shire and were lords of Sudeley. The 
church is in the deanry of Campden ; it is 
a vicaridge worth 40 !. yearly. The lord 
Tracy is the patron . . . William de 
Tracy presented to this church 53 Henry 
HL Sir John Tracy gave the advowson 
and an .acre of land to the abbey of Haj'les 
37 Ed. HI. The abbey of Hayles pre- 
sented to Todington 1357. . . . The 
church hath a tower on the south side. 
The old church hath lately been pulled 
down by the present Lord Tr;icy. who has 
erected .-i neat new church, and decently 
adorni'd it. .Stanley Poutlage is a chapel 
annexed to this church : it belonged to the 
abbey of Evesham, and was rebuilt by Sir 
John Tracy 1635. The bishop of Worces- 
ter, in the year 1403, did settle a composi- 
tion with the abbot of Hayles, for the 
niaintenance of the curate of Toddington. 

There is an effigies in the chancel for Sir 
John Tracy son of Henry and of Eliz- 
abeth his wife. dau.ghter of the (first) 
Lord Shando, (John Bridges). He died 
1501. ... 

The parish is eight miles in compas ; 
it consists of very rich meadow, pasture 



and arable land; it is bounded by the 
brook Carran, which runs into the ."^von 
aljove Tewksbury. There are forty-eight 
houses in this parish and about two hun- 
dred inhaliitants whereof six are freehold- 
ers. . . . 

In final corroboration of the Tracys 
at Toddington, I present this para- 
graph from page 769 of the "New 
History of (jJloucestershire," printed 
1-iy -Samuel Rudder in England in 
1779: 

The river Isbourne runs through it (the 
Parish) from Winchcombe, in its course 
to the upper .A.von. which it joins a little 
below the town of E\esham in Worcester- 
shire. 

This village lies in the vale, and is dis- 
tinguished for the richness of its soil, but 
more particularly for its being the resi- 
dence of the lord viscount Tracy. His 
lordships house is large and handsome, 
and was built about the close of the last 
century since which it has undergone but 
little alteration. There is a large oak 
chimney-piece in the great hall, brought 
from Hayles Abbey, where it was set up 
by the Hobbys. (William Hobby was the 
first husband of ALary Tracy }-oungest 
sister of William Tracy of Hayles and Vir- 
ginia), as appears by a large scutcheon in 
the center of it, divided into six quarter- 
ings. the first being the Hobby's arms. viz. 
A fess between three hobbies or hawks, 
but the colours are not expressed in the 
carviiig. The hall windows are ornament- 
ed with painted glass, brought from the 
same place, and among other things have 
in them the arms of France and England 
quarterly and those of Richard duke of 
Cornwall in a large scutcheon, viz. Or. an 
eagle display'd with two heads, sable and 
round, Ricard. Plantagcnct Semper aiigus- 
tiis fundator Nostcr. 

Toddington exhibits a very extraordi- 
nary instance of an estate descending for 
upward of seven hundred years in the male 
line of the same family, in uninterrupted 
succession. The present noble proprietor 
is descended from the blood of the antient 
Saxon Kings of England. . . . [Then 
follows the lineage.] 

Henry Tr.acy. eldest son of William, took 
to wife Elizabeth, second daughter of John 
(Bridges) first lord of Chandos of Sude- 
ley, ancestor to the duke of Chandos and 
dying in 1551 left issue — John, Giles, Ed- 
ward. Francis and Nicholas ; and a daugh- 
ter Eleanor, wife of William Kingston, of 
Quenington in this county, esq. 

Sir John Tracy, eldest son of Henry, 
was knighted by queen Elizabeth, in her 
progress to Bristol. 1574 and in the 20th 



all|p prog^nij nf B'axDU Mouarrl^B in Amrrtra 



year of that reign, 1578. was high shcritt 
of the county of Glocester, and died in 
1591. By Anne his wife, daughter of sir 
Thomas Throckmorton of Corse-court, 
l<nig"Iit. he left issue five sons, viz. Jo]in 
his heir; Thomas, William (of Haylcs) 
Anthony and Henry: and two daughters 
Dorothy married, first, to Edward Bray, 
of Barrington in this county and Secondly, 
to Sir Edward Conway, of Arrow in War- 
wickshire, created lord Conway (hrotlier 
of William Tracy's wife Mary Conway of 
Arrow), and Mary, weded first to Mr. 
William Hohhy, and secondly, to that re- 
nowned general, sir Horatio Vere, Ijaron of 
Tilbury. 

In the preceding evidence appears 
the statement that "the abbey of 
Hayles was presented to Toddington, 
1357." As it is in the record of this 
abbey that I shall begin to establish 
the relations which connect this line 
of nobility with the American Tracys, 
I here present my investigations of 
Hayles Abbey. (See Exhibit 4.) Sir 
Robert Atkyns, on page 246 of his 
"History of Gloucestershire," pub- 
lished in 1 71 2, makes this record and 
gives a picture of the Abbey as it was 
at that date: 

This parish lies in the lower part of 
Kiftsgate hundred, two miles distant north- 
east from Winchcomb. and seven miles 
east of Tewksbur.v, and thirteen miles 
north-east from Glocester. It is so called 
from Haly, which is Saxon for Holy. 
This manor, at the Norman conquest, fared 
like the rest of England. It was taken 
from a Sa.xon proprietor and given to a 
Norman. ... It afterwards came to 
the crown, and the inhabitants thereof 
were then discharged from the hundred of 
Winchcomb, 10 Hen. III. King Henry the 
Third granted it to his brother Richard 
earl of Cornwall, who in this place founded 
the famous monestery of Hayles 30 Hen. 
III. in the year 1246. This great earl was 
elected king of the Romans. He had es- 
caped a shipwreck ; and in performance of 
a vow made in the extremity of danger he 
erected this monestery. and placed therein 
twenty Cistertian Monks, and ten converts, 
whicli he brought from Beavlieu in France : 
i; was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and 
All Saints, by the bishop of Worcester, the 
fifth of November in the year 1251. in the 
presence of the King Henry the Third, the 
queen, thirteen bishops, many nolilemen 
and three hundred knights. This great 
carl and his wife were buried here. He 
died 1271 ; she died in the year 1261 ; so 
that the church of Hayles contains the 
ashes of an emperor and an empress. Ed- 



ward earl of Cornwall, son of the founder. 
was likewise buried in this church, 
whose burial was performed with great 
solemnity in the year 1300: King Edward 
the First, and a great concourse of noble- 
men, attending at the funeral. The church 
and most of the buildings was consumed 
by fire in the year 1271, whicli was but 
twenty years after the first foundation; yet 
the loss was estimated at 8000 marks. . . . 
The abbot and convent of Hayles paid an 
annual rent of 16/. i6.f. lorf. ;< for Pinnock- 
shire, 27 Ed. I. which rent was the same 
year settled by the king on queen Margaret 
as part of her dowry. The abbot of 
Hayles was made a mitered abbot and 
sunmioned to parliament 1294. Adam le 
Hunt grants twenty solidates of land in 
Hayles to the abbey thereof 13 Ed. II. 
The abbot of this monestery took part 
against King Henry the Fourth, and was 
hanged. Abbot Whaley was the last 
abbot, who in hopes of a pension, surren- 
dered it to the king Henry the Eighth the 
twenty-fourth of December, 31 Hen. VIII. 
This monestery was valued at Disolution 
^t 35/'- 7-s- 8d 14. Edmond, the son of the 
founder, gave some of Cliyists Blood to 
the abbey; and at the Disolution it was dis- 
covered to be the blood of a duck ; which 
was weekly renewed. This forged miracle 
had been practiced in this monestery for 
many ages; and it was affirmed of it, that, 
if a man was in mortal sin and not ab- 
solved, he could not see the blood ; but as 
soon as he was absolved, he might plainly 
discern it. The priest shewed it in a cab- 
inet of crystal, richly adorned ; both sides 
whereof seemed alike, yet one side was 
composed of thicker crystal than the other; 
and until the penitent had paid for as many 
masses as the priest thought fit. he pre- 
sented towards him that part of the cabi- 
net with the thicker crystal, when nothing 
could be seen; but when he paid well, then 
the thin and transparent side was turned 
towards him. and then to his great joy he 
could discern the blood. This miracle had 
much enriched the monestery. One of the 
cloisters is yet remaining (1712). After 
the disolution of the abbey, the scite of the 
monestery, with the manor, Hailes wood 
Pinnock's wood, and Hailes park, were 
granted to sir Thomas Seimore i Ed. VI. 
who being attainted, the scite of the mon- 
estery. with the rest of the lands, was 
granted to William, marquis of Northamp- 
ton. The manor afterward came to Wil- 
liam Hobbey. esq. [He was the first hus- 
band of William Tracy's youngest sister 
Mary Tracy] who built a little chapel not 
far distant from the alsbey, wherein he lies 
buried; he died 1603 aged 103. The 
Tracys soon after became lords of this 
manor. William Tracy, esq. was lord of 
this manor in the year i(jo8. The lord 
Tracy of Toddington is the present lord 



litbrokru Htn? nf i^sr^nt frnm ^(tng iE^brrt 



thereof who has a vltv large liouse in this 
place, which was heretofore the habitation 
of the abbot, as appears by many rehgious 
figures and inscriptions in the rooms of the 
house. . . . 

In relation to Hayles Abbey, I 
quote also this paragraph, showing 
its historic significance, front Henry 
Branch's volume entitled. "Cotswold 
and Vale, or Glimpses of Past and 
Present in Gloucester," published in 
1905, page 148: 

The history of that famous Abbey as 
sketched by Canon Bazeley, is full of the 
elements of interest, and indeed romance, 
and the exquisite fragments of the conven- 
tual buildings that remain together with 
the carved bosses from the vanished 
Church which are shown in the little Mu- 
seum close to the ruins, attest the magnifi- 
cence of what was for centuries a specially 
favored Monastery and a place particularly 
sacred to the mcdireval mind. Thousands 
of pilgrims annually visited from all parts 
of the country the shrine which contained — 
the faithful never doulited it — a phial of 
Holy Blood. Of course they believed, for 
if they had so far given evidence of scep- 

RUINS OF HISTORIC HAYLES ABBEY 




ticism as to enquire the grounds of authen- 
ticity, they would have been told that when 
Edmund, the second son of the Founder, 
purchased some of the Holy Blood of 
Jesus in Germany, and sent a portion of 
it to Hayles, he accompanied the priceless 
gift by a certificate from the Patriarch 
of Jerusalem, Urban, afterwards Pope. 
Though certainly in much fewer numbers, 
there are pilgrims to Hayles still — ecclesi- 
ologists, lovers of art, intelligent sight- 
seers, whose gratitude to Canon Bazeley 
and Mr. St. Clair Babberley for their de- 
voted labors is at the time of writing min- 
gled with regret that, from exhaustion of 
the fund or other reasons, excavation 
should have ceased, it is to be hoped but 
temporarily. Hayles, be it added, would 
be worth a visit if only for its exception- 
ally quaint little Parish Church, built by 
Ralph Worcester in the reign of Stephen. 
Its more obvious points of interest in- 
clude tiles and old glass from the Abbey. 

W'ith the family seat established at 
Toddington, I now turn again to Wil- 
liam Tracy, of the twenty-eighth gen- 
eration, who was born at Toddington, 
and emigrated to America in 1620. 
The first record of him in Hayles is 
from "The Names and Surnames of 
all the Able and Sufficient Men in 
Body fit for His Majesty's Service in 
the Wars within the County of 
Gloucester," compiled by John Smith, 
in August, 1608, in the sixth year of 
the reign of James the First, giving 
his servants and retainers on pages 
84-85 : Hayles 

William Tracy Esqr. 
Charles Townsend gent. 
John Rawles 

John Hicks Servants to the said 

John Staube William Tracy, Esqr. 
John Worlcy 
Henry Carnall 
William Carnall 
Thomas Jefifrey 
William Sexton 

Sir Horatio Vere Knight hath one 
launce, one light horse, two Corslets, .three 
muskets and two Cal\-v's furnished. 

Britton's chart shows that Wil- 
liam Tracy's youngest sister mar- 
ried this distinguished General Hora- 
tio, Lord Vere of Tilbury (See Ex- 
hibit 3), and the paragraph given 
above shows that William Tracy was 
not the owner but a resident of 
Hayles. The form of ownership in 
all the records of that period expli- 



®l|? f rorjrug of ^nxan Mmi<xxt\]B m Amrrtra 



citly states the ownership. I do not 
know of an instance where it is omit- 
ted. If William Tracy had been the 
owner, as stated in one of the preced- 
ing quotations from an eminent his- 
torian, which I am inclined to believe 
was merely a hasty conclusion with- 
out proof, the record of Hayles would 
read: "Hayles, of which William 
Tracy, esq.., is Lord." This fact 
i*- fails to state. When William 
Tracy was married, his father. Sir 
John Tracy, knight, gave him Hayles 
not in fee, but as a residence, and 
there he lived until he went to Vir- 
ginia in September, 1620. and in the 
usual course of events his children 
were born in Hayles. The ownership 
of Havles fell to his oldest brother. 
Sir John Tracy, Viscount of Rath- 
coole (See Exhibit 3), who had sev- 
eral children. 

William Tracy, Esquire, (28) was 
one of the first of those of gentle 
blood to become interested in the de- 
velopment of the New World, and he 
became actively engaged in promot- 
ing the settlement of Virginia. In 
the "Records of the Virginia Com- 
pany," January 26, 1619, now pre- 
served in the Library of Congress, 
volume I, appear these entries : 

3 Seu'all paire of Inden. for land 

allowed of 
Mr. Deputy informed the Courte that 
three several! paire of Indentures for land 
was demanded of the Company, one bv 
Robert Heath esquire Recorder of this 
Citty. The Second by William Tracy of 
Gloucestershire esqr for Transportation of 
500 persons (page 296). 



and Ills Associates for Traiispurtalion of 
$00 Persons. . . . 



At a Great and General Quarter Count 
Holden for Virginia at Sr Edward Sandys 
House neer ,'Mdensgate the Second of Feb- 
ruary 1619 (page 303). 



3 Grants of land 
The Third of Grants of Land he ac- 
quainted them of fower seu-all paire of 
Indentures lying all ingrossed before them 
granted one to Mr Robert Heath Recorder 
of London and his Associates, the s'cond 

4 Paire of Indentures allowed 
to Doctor Bohunc, James Swift and their 
,^ssociates for Transportation of 300 Per- 
sons. The Third to ll'iltiam Tracy esquire 



28 Junii (June) 1620: William Tracy of 
Hayles Esqr. to be Counccll of Estate in 
Virginia. 

Supply of Councellors in Virginia 
Vppon notice from Sr George Yeardley 
yt the Councells in Virginia must needs be 
supplied, the Court hath now chosen mr 
Thorpe, mr Nuse, mr Pountus, inr Tracy. 
mr Daved Middleton, and mr Bluett to be 
of the Counccll of Estate in I'irginia (page 
379)- 



Likewise the Councellrs of Estate in Vir- 
ginia propounded in the forenoon were 
again by ereccon of hands confirmed, 
namely (same as above). 

A Praeparative Court Held for Virginia 
in the .Afternoon the .xjth of June 1621 
(page 383). 



Sir Edwin Sandys further signified that 
itt was then allso taken into their consid- 
eracon and thought fitt that the Counsell 
of State in Virginia should assemble fower 
times a year each Quarter once for one 
whoU weeke together to advise and con- 
sult upon matter Counsell and State and of 
the generall affairs of the Colony and as 
there shall come to order and determine 
the greater matters of controversee grow- 
inge and arising between the Plantations 
there being now added a good number of 
new Counsellrs to the former, namely, (as 
before specified) (page 479). 



Whereas Credible information hath lieen 
given of the Death of Doctor Bohune mr 
Ouldsworth. and mr Tracy late chosen to be 
of Counsell of State in Virginia, . . . 
(page 520). 



At a Court Held ye 24th October 1621 : 
mr John Smith moved that whereas mr 
William Traeye afore his goinge over to 
Virginia zs.'as arrested 200/j (pounds) prin- 
cipal! debt for wch he put in bayle wch 
suit hath since proceeded and bine psecuted 
soe as the said cause was ready for 
iudgment whereof stay was made vntill 
some witnesses might be brought in to 
certify of the said mr Tracyes death. In 
respect whereof and for that hee hath re- 
ceaved information by tres that the said 
William Traeye dyed in Aprill last hee 
desires, notice of such as came lately from 
Virginia that may be ready vppon occa- 
sion to witness the death of the said gen- 
tleman touching wch the Company proiii- 
esed to procure him as many as they could 
hereof, (page 535). 

Evidence of the intimate relations 
of William Tracy of Hayles with the 



Inbrnkrn ICtn^ of BtBCtnt frnm King iEghrrt 



Virginia proniotiun, his ultimate im- 
migration into America, and liis influ- 
ence as a counsellor and finally gov- 
ernor of the first permanent English 
settlement on the Western Hemis- 
phere, is conclusive in the ancient let- 
ters in his own handwriting and 
almost indecipherable documents in 
which he is frequently mentioned. 
The originals are deposited in the 
Lenox Library in New York in charge 
of Mr. Wilberforce Eames, Librarian, 
to whom I am much indebted for tlie 
privilege of taking photographic cop- 
ies. Many of the letters are nearly 
past translation and to preserve their 
contents as a contribution to early 
American history they have been 
transcribed and published in the Bul- 
letin of the New York Public Library. 
The first one which I shall introduce 
is a letter written on April 15, 1620, 
by William Tracy to John Smith in 
which it appears that Smith had ad- 
vised Tracy to buy Throckmorton's 
share in the Virginia colony of Berke- 
ley Hundred and showing that he 
(Tracy) was acting on his"( Smith's) 
advice : 

Sr 

I w.is glad of yor letter & ye good iiues 
ot Virginia, but sori ye ship is not re- 
torned god send her a hapi Coming & all 
ouer bisnes hapili to go on to gods glori 
and oner good there is a gust Caues yt I 
canot met at gloster, as yo loue me Con- 
dem me not so do I intret my Cosin barkli 
what so ever yo to agre on I will Con- 
sent vnto be Caues I am asured yo will 
do nothing vnfitting yo selves Yf'l may 
know when to met my cousin barkli ye 
first nite T will not fayle & it may be goe 
a long with him to london Yf not wi'th 
yo yf yo go from ouer parts, but at lon- 
don there shall we haue tim suffisient to 
determen all I am now binding my men 
I haue at lest 20 promised me ye most part 
I am suer of. there is no dout of more 
then wee men at this to Cari. ti all of 
youscfull trads so yt we may leaue those 
yt ar of lest imployment tel ye next going 
do as you plese with Sr W'illiam Throk- 
mortun I will do nothing but as yo aduise 
me Yf I prone not fcrm & faythful let 
rnc not be held wnrthi ye nam of a Cris- 
tion this hoping tliis may gevc yo satis- 
factione I rest 

Yors in all asuranoe 

IS .'\prill 1620 WiLU Tkacv. 



[Addressed:] To my worthi frind Mr 

John Smith this nibli 

[Endorsed:] Mr Tracys letter 1620 



That William Tracy of Hayles did 
purchase Sir William Throckmorton's 
share in the Berkeley Hundred Plan- 
tation in Virginia in 1620, for which 
he paid £75, is witnessed by the fol- 
lowing accurate transcript from the 
original indenture : 

This Indenture made the seventh day of 
May, 1620, in the xviijth yeare of the 
raigne of our soucraigne lord king James 
of England fifrance and Ireland and of 
Scotland the liijth Betwene Sr Willm 
Throkmorton of Clowcrwall in the County 
of Gloucr.j/fr knight and baronet of the 
one fiarte And IFillin Tracy of Hayles in 
the said county Esq; of the other parte. 
W'lieras the said Sr Willni Throkmoiton 
Si George Yardley knight Richard Berk- 
ley Esq; George Thorpe Esq; and John 
Smyth gen. did procure from tlie Treas- 
orer and company of Adventurers and 
planters of the city of London for the first 
CoUony in Virginia by the advise and con- 
sent of the Counsell of the same One In- 
denture of Covenants and grants sealed 
with their Conion scale liearinge date the 
third day of fTebruary in the xvjth yeare of 
his maties said raigne of England and of 
Scotland the lijth for their better enablinge 
and incouragement for plantacon in Vir- 
ginia aforesaid And for dyu^rs other 
causes purposes and intents As in and by 
the same Indenture more at large it doth 
and may appeare. . . . Nowe this In- 
denture witnesseth that the said Sr Willm 
Throkmorton for and in Consideracon of 
the some of 75li of lawfull mony of Eng- 
land well and truly before hand payd by 
the said Willm Tracy . . . hath given 
granted assigned and set over . . . 
vnto the said Willm Tracy his executors 
3.dministrators and assignes All and singu- 
ler the interest benefit property and advan- 
tage whatsoever which he the said Sr 
Willm Throkmorton nowe hath or bv anv 
wayes or mcanes whatsoeurr shall or mav 
have or make of from by or by reason of 
the said Indenture or of any grant clause 
covenant sentence or agreement therein 
contayned eytlicr for the present or here- 
after to come. 



Early in 1620 William Tracy was 
granted a Captain's commission for 
"a voyag intended to Virginia :" 

Where.\s wee the Treasuror Councell and 
Company for Virginia for the better ad- 
vauncement and supporte of that Planta- 
con haue given leaue vnto such as shall 



all)r jprorjpuij nf B>axnu illnnarrl]a in Amrrtra 



furnish out our good Shipp of Bristol! 
called the supply of the burden of Three- 
score and Tenn Tuns or thereabouts to 
passe with all convenient expedicon vnto 
Virginia, William Tracy Esquire beinge 
ordained to be the master and Captaine 
therof and to Comaund and governe the 
said Shipp and Marryners and alsoe all the 
passengers put abord for the said voyage 
to be landed in Virginia for a /'acticuler 
plantacon beinge to the number of sixty 
five persons or thereabouts wiVh all such 
necessary provisions as are shiped for their 
vse and necessary releife We doe there- 
fore hereby Charge and Comaund him to 
take his direct course accordinge to his 
best skill and knowledge vnto the said 
plantacon in Virginia and there to land 
and put on shore all the said persons and 
goods soe shipped of what kind soeuer. 
Straightley chargeinge and Comaundingc 
the said William Tracy to sett saile from 
England w/th the first oportunyty of wind 
and to make all possible speed he may to 
the port intended and not to Interupt any 
shipinge of the subjects of any of his 
Maty ffrends or allies or any other who- 
soeucr duringe his said voyage. . . . 
In wittnesse whereof wee haue herevnto 
annexed our Comon Scale. Dated by or- 
der of a generall CoHrt houlden for Vir- 
ginia the twelfth day of July in the yeare 
of our lord God .1620. And in the eigh- 
teenth yeare of the kings Maties raigne of 
England fraunce and Ireland And of Scot- 
land the three and ffiftieth. 
Sealed in presence of. 
Fra : Carter 



It is evident that William Tracy of 
Hayles invested heavily in the devel- 
opment of the New World, for nearly 
all of his letters are of a business na- 
ture regarding- Virginia investments 
and bespeak his honor and financi 1 
integrity in meeting all obligations 
promptlv. This transcript from a let- 
ter in 1620 upholds this contention: 

tomorrow by gods leaue shall I paye yo a 
looli at leste before at seuerall times 95 ye 
rest with all spede shall be sent in as I 
haue agred with yor man. so yt within 10 
dayes I hope to pay vnto yo 30oli with vt 
allredi payd . . . Yf yo all will Con- 
sent I doute not but yt yo will take paines 
& Car for ouer bisnes & I will requit yo 
with my paines in Virginia & so will rest 
in all asuranc 

Yor ever Willi Tracy 

I canot her whether my cosin barkli haue 
taken a ship or not Yt Care must be on 
yo to my bisnes will not suffer me to seke 
after on & without on all is nothing good 



Sr Consider I haue manie bisnesis S: non 

to helpe me. . . . 

[Addressed:] To my asured frind mr 

John Smithe at ye lilue lion in Chan- 

ceri lane this. 
[Endorsed by J. Smith:] iVIr. Traceys lr//re 

about his dispatch into Virgynia, June 

.1620. .18. Jac. sent mee to London. 



It is in a letter written by William 
Tracy just before sailing for America 
in 1620 that he mentions his family, 
"my wife & dauter & sun." It is this 
"sun" that I prove to have been Lieu- 
tenant Thomas Tracy of Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut. Therefore I 
call especial attention to Exhibit 6, 
which is an exact photographic repro- 
duction from the original letter. Ow- 
ing to its eccentric orthography it is 
here translated according to accepted 
version of handwriting experts in the 
service of the Lenox Library at New 
York. I contend that the mention of 
the "dauter" first, giving her preced- 
ence over the "sun," is a positive indi- 
cation that she was the older. It was 
the irrevocable custom of the period to 
give the sons precedence. Under a 
monarchal system in which heredity is 
law and the lines of descent are estab- 
lished through the males, the daugh- 
ters were never mentioned first ex- 
cept through a distinct superiority of 
age. In an instance of this kind it is 
definite proof that the daughter must 
have reached maturity while the 
"sun" must be still in childhood ; 
otherwise this precedence of female 
over male could not have occurred in 
a family bound fast to the laws of 
heredity and cherishing as sacred 
their descent from the Saxon Kings. 
While nothing has been found that 
gives the dates of birth of either 
of William Tracy's children, I shall 
continually corroborate this statement 
that the "sun" was in his childhood 
when his father came to America in 
1620, and the daughter had reached 
maturity. This is the translation of 
the letter that establishes their exist- 
ence : 

non more glad of yor recover! then I 
god Continue ye increse & Continuanc of 



llttbrnk^n ICtn? of iparrut frnm King lEgbrrt 




gJ^i^^ 






^,#?f^ /^^v^f ^/-^-^ 2^J 



■S^i 






^<^^/^i''^ '^i 



AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF WILLIAM TRACY OV HAYLES AS HE LEAVES FOR VIRGINIA IN 1620 

Exhibit 5— Written to John Smyth, inviting his friends to dine with him and looking 
forward to an opportunity of entertaining them in Virginia — Original from which 
this almost indecipherable letter is taken is in archives of Lenox Library at New York 



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AUTOGRAPH PROOF OF WILLIAM TRACY OF HAYLES BRINGING HIS SON TO AMERICA 

Exhibit 6— Postscript to letter written to his intimate friend, John Smyth, first 
day of September. 1620, in which he enumerate,^ his family accompanying him on 
his departure for Virginia— Original in the archives of Lenox Library, New York 



all helth & hapenes to yo I will say 
litell becaues I hope god will bring yo 
spedili hether wher yo will find gret 
necleckte hath bine such as will hould vs 
her 12 dayes at lest, such things as yo 
writ to haue baut shale be I haue retorned 
yo ye boke & 2 writings receued of yo 
I shall be glad to se yo knowing then mi 
despach will be much ye soner w/(!ch is yt 
I most desier so hasting to rest with 
god send yo well so do I bid yo god nite 
euer being Yors in all loue 

Willi Tracy 
I. September 
1620 

Commend me to mrs. smith & ye rest & 
tell them yf I must eate shepes mogets 
wj'th them a bord at bristoll thay shall 
eate at land in Virginia pocahikiti with me 
in ernest they shall be wellcom & wee will 
part goyfulli 

I haue in my Compani 4 maid saruants 3 
maried wiues & 2 young Children my wife 
& daiiter & sun remem mr Portar & Con- 
sider ouer ship will hould but 45 men 
men being ye mor excelent & yousefull 
Cretuers twer 111 to Chauing for wemen 
ther Cannot be Convenientsi of rome for 
all thes a suer yor selfe mr palet I hop 
will be with mi sune. 
[Addressed:] To mi asured frind mr 

John Smith this. 
[Endorsed :] mr Traceys \ctlre 2. sept. 

1620. from Bristoll. 



To Still further corroborate the con- 
tention that the order of precedence 
could not have been carelessness, es- 
pecially with a man in whom the laws 
of heredity were religiously observed 
as sacred and in whose veins flowed a 
blood that for twenty-eight genera- 
tions had held its nobility through 
these laws, I introduce an accurate 
transcript from another letter written 
at another date in which William 
Tracy observes the same form of pre- 
cedence "my wife, dantcr & sune:" 

. . . my howsold will be my wife 
dauter & sune 4 mayd saruants & 6 men 
so then for ye rest as mani or as fewe as 
yo will mr palet & mr gilfort must be to 
more of my Compani so I shall be .16. 
parsuns at lest, my mening is all these 
shall be Imployed in ye Comon bisnes 
twer good to make them 30. I haue sente 
yo letters to Consider of so leaueing yo to 
god Yor ever asured 

Willi tracy. 
I would Cari .10. or 12 dogs yt would be 
of gret youse to vs. let me know yf thay 
will let vs Cari thein. 
S Juli .1620. 
[Addressed :] To my asured worthi good 

frind. mr John Smith this. 
[Endorsed:] . . . July .1620. 



Inbrnkrn ICte at i^arrnt frnm iKtng lE^hrrt 






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IDENTIFICATION OF THE FAMILY OF WILLIAM TRACY OF HAYLES IN AMERICA 

Exhibit 7— Record of his death, April 8, i6;?r; the marriage of his daughter, Joyce, 
and her tragic death: and the return of his son, Thomas Tracy, to England— The 
marginal notes are in the handwriting of John Smyth - Original in Lenox Library 



The arrival of William Tracy of 
Hayles, and his wife, daughter and 
son, in America is evidenced in the 
photograph of a portion of a page of 
the record of the Virginia Company 
preserved by John Smith. I call 
your attention to Exhibit 7, which 
is the original list of "men nowe 
sent for plantacon in Virginia," and 
is dated "3 September 1620." In 
this document the names of the chil- 
dren are revealed. The marginal 
notes, recording rleaths, are in the 
handwriting of John Smyth : 

3 September A list of men nowe sent for 

1620. plantacon in Virginia. 

Willm Tracy Esqr 

(dead .8. Apr. 1621.) 
Mary Tracy his wife 

[slayne and dead written by Smyth in 
the margin and then stricken 
tlirongh] 
Thomas Tracy their sonne 

(returned for F.ngl.) 
Joyce Tracy their daughter 

(married to Capt. Nath. Powell, both 
slayne) 

The investments of William Tracy 
in Virginia proved financially disas- 
trous. He was continually called upon 



for funds in promoting the colony and 
pathetic appeals show that his entire 
estate was consumed in the New 
W-^orld speculation which proved a to- 
tal financial loss. Consequently the 
son, Thomas, recorded in Exhibit 7, 
was ultimately left destitute in Amer- 
ica, as witnessed b)' letters. This is 
a translation of Exhibit 8 : 

I woul[d] say mor but know not what 
my wif is oner whelme with grefe at bris- 
toll we onli haue this vn sarten hop yt ye 
fayer will fornish vs wj'th a ship, mr barkli 
layes all ye fait on yo but all ye burden 
lieth on me. yo haue nibli he hath stok I 
haue nothing but verginia & yt am I held 
from to Hue in shame & disgrase in Eing- 
land for gods lone howld mr felgate sarten 
to go with vs & yf we must go from bris- 
toU which is my desier mak hast doune & 
help me a man by all menes & by gods 
help it will be for ouer good I hau to hun- 
dered & od pounds & ye 3 in mr Webbes 
hand this will I ingage for to furnish & 
forward this Jorni leaue me not I will 
ncuer leaue yo but be as I ought & so will 
rest Yors Wiu.i Tr.\cy 

14 Juli. .1620. 

[.Addressed:] To I hope my frind yt will 
not leaue me mr John Smith this 

So serious became the financial 
straits of William Tracv through his 



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I 













„--i. 



PATHETIC LETTER OF WILLIAM TRACY OF HAYLES CONFIDING HIS LOSSES IN AMERICA 

Exhibit 8— Written to John Smyth on July 14, i6ao, when in despair because of 
his financial embarrassment from the unprofitable investment of his entire estate 
in Virginia which left his family destitute — Original in Lenox Library, New York 



Ilubrnknt IGinr nf irsrntt frnm iKtuin iE^brrt 



\"iryinia exjjioitation that he became 
involved in debts which resuhed in 
much humiliation. In a letter written 
to him by Timothy Gate, a kinsman, in 
1620, these facts are made plain : 

Good cosyn I beare a parte in my mind of 
your vnhappines I receued a I('//re from 
my brother Cuynter which my cosyn 
Bridges brought me vnto Ockle the con- 
ttnts was that I should take such security 
for his mony as I thought fitting from 
thence I went with him vnto Cleeue from 
thence to Beckford vnto mr VVakemans 
house and there I toocke all his part of 
tobacco assigned vrder hand and scale 
before Wittnesses with mr Wakemans 
consent, my brother vpon my knoledg 
was content to take 2000 pound of his to- 
bacco, he hath formely told me soe and 
writt soe vnto me my cosyn was content 
to passe his corne or any thing he had for 
your releaf but I thought that sufficient 
and that yt would content him I am hartily 
sorry he should deale thus cruelly with 
you I writt vnto my brother what I had 
donne and that he would release you ac- 
cording vnto his lt'//re for my cosyn Rob 
Bridges he is soe sensible of your hin- 
derance and his owne discreditt by your 
Arrest that he seemeth vnto me as I pro- 
test vnto you infinitely perplexed in his 
mind he hath travelled twise vnto my 
brother and backe agayne little meats and 
rest servetli his turne. he would doe any 
thing in his power to free you he voweth 
vnto me and I am confident he will per- 
forme yt if you can procure any suerties 
he will with all speed possibly he can se 
them discharged. If he should be slack I 
will remember him but he is as carefull of 
you as he can be and would vndergoe any 
losse or paynes to free you but vpon the 
suddayne he cannot doe what he would or 
should doe herin if you will write vnto 
me to speake vnto any frend you haue here 
If my payns care and best furtherance 
shall not be wanting for I desyre god to 
bleshe me and myne as I wishe your well- 
fayre I hope the Sea wilbe more mercifull 
vnto you then your frends are hire I hope 
after this storme you shall have fayer 
weather my prayers and best cndevors 
shalbe for you 

I rest 
your kinsman 

in affection 
Tim G.^te 
Ockle Sept 22th 
[Addressed:] To my worthie good cosyn 

mr Willia Tracy att Bristol these. 
[Endorsed:] mr gates \cttre to mr wyntour 

The burdened state of mind and the 
embarrassment which William Tracy 
of Hayles suffered because of his ven- 



ture in financing the American expedi- 
tion is confessed in a letter which he 
wrote to his friend, John Smith, in 
which he feared that he might be 
forced to remain in England in want 
and gave way to his discouragement 
with the words : "When all is gone I 
cannot live." 

Sk 

Yf yor help be not more then mr barklis I 
am vndon piti my destrcsed Case, & sum- 
thing yor own Credit is Ingaged to se me 
prouided to go & those ther releued. my 
trust is in yo and out of ye trust in yo did 
I prosed, in much grefe do I writ ease 
my hevi hart or kill it outrit. let me go on 
ani condisions I yeld to yor desier thoth 
vnfit I should run so gret a dainger & yo 
go on sartenties do yor will so I may not 
stay to zvaiit at home mr barkli will not 
send but by ye poule & tun & is of yor 
mind yt I should hier ye ship by ye moneth 
to tari her will be mor lose therefor helpe 
I yf yo Can posibel mr barkli will Consent 
but to Cari 20 men do yor best to get me 
& 10 parsunes or as mani or as few as yo 
Can or think fit When all is gon I Can- 
not line therefor send me wher I must 
leue my trust is in yo fayle me not I 
Can say nomore but leaue all to yor des- 
cresion & rest 

Yors 

Willi Tr.\cy 
14. Jnli. 1620. 

I leaue much to mr felgat to discorse who 
sawe mr bark[l]ies carig. 

We lose all oner men yf we go not nowe 
besids putting the[m] out of work & me 
out of creditt. 
[Addressed:] To my worth .good frind mr 

John Smith this. 
[Endorsed:] ... 14 July 1620 by 

Toby felgate. 

William Tracy was held for a debt 
of 200 pounds incurred in fitting the 
ship "Supply" for the voyage to 
America. Placing this responsibility 
on W'illiam Tracy was unjust as the 
debt was contracted for the company 
and not for the personal advantage 
of William Tracy. There was an 
agreement that certain amounts should 
be paid by certain persons in furnish- 
ing the ship which was sent out from 
Bristol in September, 1620, under the 
command of William Tracy. This 
transcription from the original books 
of the company at that date proves 
that William Tracy had paid his 
share : 



Ei}t Progeny of ^axnn iE0uarrI]B m Am^nra 



Sent to mr Tracy vpon 

his Icttres after I 

was come to Nibley 

to be supplyed. 

whilst he lay for 

wynd at Crockampil 

with all his company 

&c xli 

Smo total of this 
wholl charge 
disbursed till this 
ships departure 

.18. Sept. 1620. 702li IIS 6d 

Wherof 4th part is I75li 12s lod ob. 
Of w//Jch iiijta pars of 

i/Sli I2s lod ob. mr 

Berkeley and his 

partners have payd 

but 50li 

The residue beinge 

125I I2S lod ob. is to 

be cast upon mr 

Tracy by agreement. 
Of which 4ta pars of 

17511 I2S lod ob. mr 

Smyth hath payd the 

wholl for mr Thorpe. 
Of w/i(ch 4ta pars of 

17511 I2S lod ob. mr 

Tracy hath payd the 

wholl by the hands 

of mr. Smyth. 

Almost driven to desperation by his 
financial encumbrances, William 
Tracy pleaded with his worthy friend, 
John Smith of Nibley: "Send me 
away and by God's leave your good 
shall be equal with mine. ... I 
have put myself out of all means to 
live here :" 

Sr 

My estat is such yt I must stir yo on be 
yond good mannars, neuer mor I hop to be 
trobelsum but euer laboring to make satis- 
faksion. send me away & by gods leaue 
yor good shall be equall with mine, in 
god my Chefe trust is ne.x yo as his Chefe 
instrument to finish this work as yo loue 
me youes all menes to take a ship tel yt be 
don I shall not be meri. blam me not for I 
haue put my selfe out of all menes to Hue 
here & am dayli in extrem e.xpensis w/iich 
wekneth my to wek purse for so gret a bis- 
nes good Sr haue a felow feling w/th me 
by this yo may se my longing hart to be 
gon to ye plase wher my bisnes is. I know 
you vnderstand faythfullness & Constanci 
is such yt I ned say no mor so will refer 
to yor best Car all this gret bisnes & euer 
rest Yors to comand 

2 August 1620. Willi Tracy. 

[Addressed:] To my worthi good frind Mr 

John Smith of nibley this. 
[Endorsed:] Mr Tracyes l<?/tre .Aug. .1620. 



In the midst of the financial diffi- 
culties of William Tracy, one John 
Bridges writes a letter to John Smyth 
in which he speaks of William Tracy 
as his cousin and oft'ers financial 
assistance. It must here be noted 
that in Exhibit 3 it is shown that the 
grandfather of William Tracy mar- 
ried Elizabeth, daughter of John 
Bruges or Bridges, first Lord Chan- 
dos of Sudeley. It is through them 
that I shall later produce corrobora- 
tive evidence that Thomas Tracy of 
Massachusetts and Connecticut was 
the son of William Tracy and Mary 
Conway left destitute in Virginia. 
The following letter and Exhibit 9 
are here presented to still further 
vouch for the relationship of William 
Tracy, of Hayles and Virginia, and 
the Bridges: 

Sr 

Nidinge to send these letters to my 
cosine Tracy, I spake with mr Thorne. who 
tould me that by Sr Willm Throkmorton. 
and your selfe my cosin Tracy was sett at 
libertie — which did not a little reioyse me : 
I will not trouble you with many lines in 
this letter, by cause yf my cosine Tracy be 
gon, I desire you to opene his letter, yf he 
be w;/h you I knowe he will acquaint you 
with what I haue writ : I desire that you 
will directe me what course to take for 
the remouinge of the action into the Chan- 
sery, and I will followe it with all speed, 
or yf your selfe will be pleased to followe 
it, all chardges shallbe mine, thus beinge 
sorry for the wronge dune unto my cosine 
Tracy by that basse extorcioner winter, I 
desire to heere from you and will ever rest 
your assured louinge ffrend 

Jo : Bridges 
Castlett the 23th 
of Sept. 1620 
[Addressed:] To my mutch respected 

flfrind John Smith, esqr. : at nibley be 

these deliured. 
[Endorsed:] mr Bridges .1. Ic/Zre to mee 

Sept .1620. [with seal] 

The confidence which the Virginian 
investors reposed in William Tracy is 
demonstrated by his appointment as 
governor. The original document 
addressed to George Thorpe. Mr. 
Tracy's coadjutor, and signed by 
Richard Berkeley and John Smyth, is 
preserved at the Lenox Library, and 
a photographic reproduction of a por- 



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AUTOGRAPH PROOF OK FINANCIAL EMBARRASSMENT OF WILLIAM TRACY IN VIRGINIA 
Exhibit Q— John Bridges to John Smyth, September 23, 1620, in which he 
speaks of William Tracy of Hayles as his cousin and offers financial assistance— 
This letter also helps to identify Thomas Tracy of New England in 1636 as 
the lost son of William Tracy of Hayles and Virginia— Original in Lenox Library 



tidii of it is Iicrc presented in Exhiliit 
10: 

[After our very liarty comendac/ons : wee 
send herewith vnto yon, a Comission to 
discliarge the governemcH; and anthority. 
which last yeare was by vs and yourselfe 
conferred vpon Captayne Woodleefe wher- 
to your ownee Iiand and seale is to be 
affixed, if you have cause to make vse 
therof, w/i;ch we leave to the wisdome of 
yourselfe and Mr Tracy we have conferred 
the whnll gont';'nemc;;( of all our people 
and affayres ioyntly by one other Comis- 
sion vpon yourselfe and Mr Tracy accord- 
inge to the tenor of the former to cap- 
tayne Woodleefe] makinge noe doubt of 
your prudent vsage therof, profitably also 
for yourselves and vs. . . . With our 
afTectionate comendaci'ons we bid you har- 
tcly farewell and rest 

Yor assured loving frends 
Rich. Berkeley. John Smyth. 
Stoke Saturday 
10 Sept. 1620. 

The financial misfortnnes of Wil- 
liam Tracy of Havles did not slialce 



the faitli of iiis colleagues, who held 
him in high esteem for his services to 
the first permanent English settlement 
in America when it was in dire need 
and about ready to abandon the conti- 
nent and re.*urn home after vears of 
poverty, famine and massacre. This 
is shown by the agreement between 
Richard Berkeley, George Thorpe, 
William Tracy and John Smyth, in 
which Thorpe and Tracy are selected 
as governors of the colony on August 
28, 1620: 

It.'m it is further agreed that for the bet- 
ter augmentacon of the number of their 
said servants and collony already in Vir- 
ginia That another ship called the supply 
shall in the month of September nowe next 
followinge be sent from the said port of 
Bristoll furnished at their like equall costs 
and charges in all things w/th .540. persons 
or therabouts, And that the authority and 
governemrii/ of the said men and all others 
eyther already in Virginia or hereafter to 



(HIl? ^Prngrnij nf B^xon Mamvt\)B in Amprtra 



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AUTOGRAPH DOCUMENT APPOINTING WILLIAM TRACY OF HAYLES GOVERNOR IN VIRGINIA 
Exhibit lo— Instructions from Ricliard Berkeley and John Smyth to George Thorpe, 
September lo, 1620— This document qualifies for membership in Society of Colonial 
Governors— The original is now in the archives of the Lenox Library in New York 



be sent and of all other their affavres in 
Virginia shall be in the said George Thorpe 
and Willm Tracy Joyntly as sole gouern- 
ors and directors of all manner of busi- 
nesses there soe longe as they two shall 
agree in one and not be divided in opyn- 
ion. . . . 



of them shall agree vnto and deter- 
niyne of in wrytinge, wherto they the 
said Rich Berkeley and John Smyth 
faythfnlly promise to submit themselves 
without longer contradiccon argument 
or gaynsayinge. Given Enterchangeablv 
vnder their hands and scales the day and 









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IDENTIFICATION OF WILLIAM TRACY OF VIRGINIA AS SCION OF TODDINGTON MANOR 
Exhibit It— Written August 28, 1620, appointing William Tracy a Governor in Virginia 
and mentioning him as brother of Sir Thomas Tracy, Knight of Toddington, and son 
of Sir John Tracy of Toddington, direct descendant of Saxon Kings— Lenox Library 



111 concluding this agreement a 
record is made of the relationship of 
William Tracy and Sir Thomas Tracy, 
knight, as brothers. See Exhibit 1 1 
in which these lines appear : 

[In case of disagreement is is agreed 
. . . ] that the resolucon determynacon 
and pcoceedinge shall be as Sr Willm 
Throkmorton knight and baronet Sr Tho : 
Roe knight and Sr Tho : Tracy knight 
brother of the said Willm or any two 



yeare first above written. (August 28. 
1620. ) 

This foregoing record corroborates 
the pedigree in the chart offered as 
Exhibit 3 at the beginning of this 
argument, in which William Tracy 
of Hayles and Virginia (cousin 
of John Bridges) who married 
Mary, daughter of Sir John Conway, 
of Arrow, County of Warwick, sister 



Inbrnkmt ^£\m of S^Brput frnm SCtitg iEgbrrt 



of Lord Conwa_v, is proved to be a 
direct descendant in unbroken line of 
succession to Egbert the first Saxon 
King of all England. Britton's chart 
records William Tracy as dying with- 
out issue. I have proven this errone- 
ous by William Tracy's own hand- 
writing and by the records of Vir- 
ginia. He had a son and his name 
was Thomas as witnessed in Exhibit 

/■ 

In this same Exhibit 7 it will be 
found that John Smyth in his own 
handwriting entered a record of Wil- 
liam Tracy's death on April 8. 1621, in 
the midst of his financial misfortunes 
in Virginia ; that his wife, Mary (Con- 
way) Tracy, was "slayne and dead." 
but these words are stricken out ; that 
his daughter, Joyce, married Captain 
Nath. Powell, and both were slain; 
and finally that the son, Thomas 
Tracy, "returned for England." 

With this tragical ending of the 
American speculations of a scion of 
the House of Ethelred, tho Saxon 
King, I rest this first part of my argu- 
ment and turn to Lieutenant Thomas 
Tracy of Massachusetts and Connecti- 
cut, from whom a large part of the 
Tracys in America descend, inasmuch 
as it is proven that the Tracy expedi- 
tion to Virginia not only proved a 
financial disaster, but ended in a 
tragedy. 

The words "slayne and dead" writ- 
ten by John Smyth alongside of the 
mother's name show conclusively that 
she was not in Virginia and that her 
whereabouts was unknown by her late 
husband's associates. It is evident 
that John Smyth, who was one of the 
closest friends of her husband, had 
heard that she was "sla\-ne and dead ;" 
but the crossing out of the line signi- 
fies that he later found that she was 
living and therefore obliterated the 
entry. If slie had been living in Vir- 
ginia, John Smyth would have known 
it. It is a safe conjecture that she 
had gone liack to England after her 
husband's death, where in the usual 
course of events she would have re- 



turned to her kin at Arrow in War- 
wickshire. 

Be this as it may, the record expli- 
citly states "Thomas Tracy their 
Sonne returned for England." Ex- 
haustive searches in the ancient rec- 
ords of England, in parish books, 
courts of chancery, English grave- 
yards, and fugitive papers and letters 
in antiquarian archives, have failed to 
give one word that even mentions his 
return to England. Eminent Ameri- 
can and British genealogists have 
gleaned the country to find an entry 
tliat would throw any light upon the 
existence of Thomas Tracy in Eng- 
land after he had departed from Vir- 
ginia and "returned for England." 

In 1636, there entered the town of 
Salem, Massachusetts, an Englishman 
by the name of Thomas Tracy. He 
had been in Watertown, Massachu- 
setts, and came to Salem with refer- 
ences from citizens of Watertown. I 
here present Exhibit 12, which is a 
photograph of a portion of the book 
of the Salem, Massachusetts, Records, 
and contains this entry : 

By the Towne represent, 2d of the first 
mo. 1636-7. p 38. 

Tho : Trace Reed for Ihaliitant vpon 
a Certificate from diners of water Towne. 
And is to have 5 acres of Land, [which he 
may haue laid ont wlien he hath a ticket 
from me that he hath paid me.l In short 
hand hy the Town Clerl<. pp 40-81. 



De Lands or By the Towan repre- 

rec. in inhabitants scntative the 23th 

of the nth mo. 
Anno 1636 
Mathew Waller Rcceiued for an Inhabi- 
tant fr a Certifficate from mr Atherton 
hangh. pp. 40-81. 

Thonias Trace ship Carpenter reffered to 
Certifficate. pp 40-81. 
erased 
[40 Die niensis [*9*] 10 1637. p 60. 

It is agreed that the marsh & meadow 
Lands that haue formerly laved in comon 
to this Town shall now be appropriated to 
the Inhabitants of Salem, proportioned out 
vnto them according to the heads of their 
families. To those that haue the greatest 
number an acre thereof & to those that 
haue tlie least not aboue haue an acre, & 



^9 



(Uli? Jprngnut nf ^a.xnu iHauarrlta in Amrrtra 

/ m^as a^4 ^-v— -/^//^ ^/f yjif 

IDENTIFICATION OF THuMAS TRACY IN AMERICA IN 1636 

Exhibit 12— From Town Records of Salem, Massachusetts, in which his name is enrolled 
as an inhabitant — This document with much corroborative evidence discovers the missing 
son of William Tracy, who returned to England after his father's death in Virginia 



to those that are between both 3 q'ters of 
an acre, etc. 

When the list of those receiued allot- 
ments was written by Roger Conant he 
placed first the figure denoting the number 
in the famil.v and then the name of the 
head of the family . . . the figures fol- 
lowing the names denote the allotment. 
Thomas Tracy receiued 2 (quarters) or 
half an acre, p loi. 

This Thomas Tracy, a ship carpen- 
ter, was received in Salem upon the 
"certificate of divers of Watertown." 



The fact that he was accepted shows 
that his sponsors were responsible 
parties. Who were some of the lead- 
ing residents of Watertown at that 
date? In 1636-7 we find among the 
estimable citizens one John Bridge ; 
his wife, Elizabeth ; his son, Matthew 
Bridge ; another William Bridges ; one 
John Smith, senior. John Smith, jun- 
ior, Francis Smith, and a Tliomas 
Smith — all well-bred Englishmen, 






^ SI 













RECORD OF THOMAS TRACY AS A SHIP CARPENTER IN AMERICA IN 1636 

Exhibit 13— From the Town Records at Salem, Massachusetts, and confirming the records 
that William Tracy of Hayles lost his entire estate in Virginia — His son, Thomas, 
was apprenticed as a ship carpenter with members of the Smyth family in New England 



llnbrnknt ICinp af i^Brrnt from IKtng lEgbfrt 



prominent in the community. The 
Smiths were wealthy shipbuilders and 
large land owners. John Bridge 
was the first deacon of the first church 
in Watertown and was a leader in the 
administration of public affairs. 

The names Bridges and Smith have 
been frequently mentioned in the nar- 
ration of the experiences of William 
Tracy of Hayles and Virginia. In 
Exhil)it 3. it is shown that his grand- 
father, Sir Henry Tracy, married 
Elizabeth Bruges, also written Brugge, 
Bridge, Bridges, Brydge and Brydges, 
who was the daughter of John Bruges, 
the first Lord Chandos of Sudeley. 
In Exhibit 9, one John Bridges, a 
wealthy descendant of this old Eng- 
lish family, offers aid to William 
Tracy about to sail for Virginia in his 
financial difficulties and speaks of him 
as his cousin. Throughout the entire 
financial embarrassment of William 
Tracy, in promoting his American in- 
terests, we find his "worthy" and 
"good" friend is John Smith or Smyth 
with whom he conducts a confidential 
correspondence. Exhibits 5, 6, 8, 9, 
10, all show the close relations of 
the Tracys and Smiths. In Exhibit 
7. it will be noted that it was John 
Smith who recorded the death of Wil- 
liam Tracy, his daughter, the record 
of his wife, and tlie record "Thomas 
Tracy their sonne returned for Eng- 
land." 

Then comes the silence of the Eng- 
lish records in which Thomas, this 
young gentleman, is never mentioned, 
until in 1636 there appears in Amer- 
ica one Thomas Tracy in a com- 
munity with the Bridges and Smiths., 
persons of influence and wealth. The 
Smiths are rich shiplniilders : this 
Thomas Tracy is a ship carpenter. 
(See Exhibit 13.) 

The genealogical evidence seems to 
me complete. Thomas Tracy of 
Watertown and Salem, is the missing 
son of William Tracy of Hayles and 
Virginia. The proof is much more 
conclusive than that required in many 
cases at law where circumstantial evi- 



dence with less documentary proof 
frequently sends a man to his death. 
The identification is so strong that 
eminent genealogists and lawyers to 
whom I have referred my exhibits 
pronounce it conclusive. 

By unimpeachable exhibits, many of 
which are in the handwriting of the 
parties in question, it is proven that 
\\'illiam Tracy of Hayles and \'ir- 
ginia did not die without issue ; that 
his son was in childhood; that his 
daughter was in maturity when 
through financial disaster and death 
of father and sister the boy was left 
destitute and "returned for England." 
That he did not remain in England 
is shown by the failure of the B)ritish 
records to mention him either in par- 
ish or politics, in property interests 
or trade, in marriage or death — not 
a word testifying to his existence in 
England, and this, coupled with the 
fact that he was the grandson of an 
honored knight, is evidence that he 
could not have remained in England. 

About fifteen years after the death 
of William Tracy in Virginia there 
appears the record of a youth who has 
just learned the trade of ship carpen- 
ter in Watertown where the Smiths 
are wealthy shipbuilders, and where 
the Bridges are an influential family. 
Weighing the facts carefully, consid- 
ering all the elements of the narrative, 
can there be any more reasonable con- 
duct on the part of Thomas Tracy, 
who had been left destitute as the son 
of A\'illiam Tracy who had lost all in 
the \'irginia promotion, than to turn 
to his father's friends for assistance ? 
These Smiths and Bridges in Alassa- 
chusetts. branches of the old English 
families of friends and relatives of his 
dead father, knowing of the boy's 
plight, send for him to come there, 
and assist him to become self-support- 
ing by teaching him the trade of ship 
carpenter in their own shipbuilding 
yards, and vouch for him when he 
starts out to make his own way in the 
world and goes first to Salem. The 
fact of his being a ship carpenter has 



Sllir Prngniij of Bnxan Moxmvtl^B tit Atttrrtra 



by some been considered to militate 
against the claim of his being of gen- 
tle birth ; but with the explanation of 
the circumstances attending his early 
life it strengthens his identity and ac- 
centuates his independence of charac- 
ter and shows an honorable ambition 
to work out his own destin3'asthe true 
son of a true father. His second com- 
ing to America under the circum- 
stances is very much to his credit. 
Instead of settling down at his home 
in the position of the "poor relative" 
he chose to give up the luxurious sur- 
roundings to which he was born and 
brave the privations and dangers of a 
pioneer in the new world, of which he 
must have had a very vivid recollec- 
tion. 

It is significant that the disappear- 
ance of the young son of William 
Tracy of Hayles and Virginia, is sim- 
ilar to the still more mysterious com- 
ing of the young man Thomas Tracy 
to Massachusetts, and these mysteries 
both occupy the same period of years. 
This period must be the connecting 
link that makes the boy the man. Ex- 
haustive searches in \\'atertown and 
Salem. Massachusetts, and in Weth- 
ersfield, Saybrook and Norwich, Con- 
necticut, prove that there is abso- 
lutely nothing in his American public 
record which taken by itself gives any 
clue to the place of his nativity, or 
whence or when he came to America. 



Many searches have been made in 
England and America without posi- 
tive results. 

The movements of Thomas Tracy 
after he became an inhabitant of Sa- 
lem are clear. That he became a man 
of strong character and a substantial 
citizen is shown by his long life of 
activity. The record of the division 
of the swamp lands in Salem (see Ex- 
hibit 14) show that Thomas Tracy 
was a single man in 1637. for it re- 
cords him as a family of "i." He 
removed to Wetherstield, Connecti- 
cut, and came into the possession of 
land. He next removed to Saybrook, 
Connecticut, and shared in the first 
division of land there about 1639, and 
in the second division he was granted 
land adjoining his house. The name 
of his first wife, the mother of all of 
his children, is not known. He was 
probably married about the time he 
settled in Saybrook, where all of his 
children were undoubtedly born. The 
list of their births, if there was one, 
has not been found. He removed to 
Norwich, Connecticut, in 1660, with 
his seven children. As his wife is 
not mentioned it is probable that she 
had died. After his final settlement 
in Norwich. Connecticut, he was con- 
stantly employed in the public affairs. 
He was one of the first Deputies to 
the General Court and served twenty- 
seven sessions ; he was Lieutenant of 



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RECORD SHOWING THOMAS TRACY AS A LAXD OWNER IN AMERICA IN 1637 

Exhibit 14— From the Town Records in Salem, Massachusetts, in which Thomas 
Tracy is granted two quarters of an acre as an unmarried man's share in the allotment 



Mubroknt IGiur 0f irarrnt from iKtim iEqbrrt 



Dragoons and Commissary, etc., and 
his services qualify his descendants 
for the Societies of the Colonial Wars 
and Colonial Dames. While neither 
he or any of his descendants occupied 
the position of the chief corner-stone 
in the new nation, he and they did 
form a substantial part of the founda- 
tion and superstructure of the Con- 
necticut facade. 

Thomas Tracy married three times, 
for the record is given of his third 
wife. Mary (Foote) f Stoddard) 
Goodrich. She was the widow first 
of John Stoddard and second of John 
Goodrich of Wethersfield, Connecti- 
cut. Goodrich, as an inducement for 
Widow Stoddard to marry him, made 
an ante-nuptial agreement with her 
binding his heirs, if she survived him, 
to pay her four pounds per year dur- 
ing her life. She outlived him five 
years and the heirs forgot their obli- 
gations. There was a lawyer named 
Pitkin living in Hartford at the time 
and Thomas Tracy was a Deputy to 
the General Court there from Nor- 
wich, Connecticut. A letter indicates 
Tracy had a personal interview with 
Pitkin and engaged him to collect the 
claim and agreed to write him a state- 
ment of the claim. Pitkin brought a 
suit for the amount of the claim with 
interest and got judgment against the 
Goodrich estate and levied on a piece 
of land in Wethersfield which the 
Court ordered the Sherifif to deed to 
Tracy, which he received in satisfac- 
tion of all claims, September 2, 1683. 

Mr Pitkin that which my wife haue re- 

seaud of her legacy that her husband 

Goodrich Gave her dureng her life the 
first year shee resued fower pound the sec- 
ond year shee reseued two pound Eighteen 
shillings and that is all that hau ben re- 
scued. Thomas Tracy. 

Dyed Aprill, 1680. ^ vcars 20-00-0 

6-18 

13-2 
This is the only sample of Thomas 
Tracy's writing extant. 

He died in Norwich. Novem- 
ber 7, 1685. His age at death is not 
given, and no record has been discov- 
ered that gives any clue to the date 



of his birth. His children who shared 

in the distribution of his estate, were : 

John, (Serg.) b. about 1642; m. Mary 
Winslow Jun 17. 1670. 

Thomas, (Serg.) b. about 1645; m. Sa- 
rah ? 

Jonathan, (Lieut.) b. about 1648; m. 
Mary Griswold Jul 11, 1672. 
Miriam, b. about 1649; "i- Ens. Thomas 
Waterman Nov — , 1668. 
Solomon, (Dr.) b. about 1650; m. 1st Lydia 
Huntington Nov 23, 1676. 
Solomon (Dr.) m. 2nd Sarah (Bliss) Slu- 
man Apr. 8. 1686. 

Daniel, b. about 1652; m. ist Abigail .\d- 
gate Sep 19, 1682. 

Daniel, m. 2nd Hannah (Backus) Bing- 
ham Nov 4. 1712. 

Samuel, b. about 1654: unm. d. in Nor- 
wich, Conn Jan 11, 1693. 

John Tracy was the richest of the 
family and a very large landholder in 
New London and Windham Counties, 
Connecticut. He inherited his father's 
carpenter's tools, which indicates that 
he was a builder. I~Ie did not take a 
very active part in the management 
of public aftairs. Thomas and Jona- 
than settled in Preston, Connecticut, 
on land given them by their father, 
which was granted him by the General 
Court for assisting Uncas when he 
was besieged in his fort by the Naran- 
sets. They both took an active part 
in the town and church aflfairs, and 
Jonathan was town recorder and clerk 
from the organization of the town till 
his death, 171 1. Solomon was the 
second doctor in the town and a lieu- 
tenant of the first train band, and Dan- 
iel was the Beau P>rummel of the fam- 
ily — twenty-three ruffled shirts were 
enumerated in his inventory, and a 
sword and belt. As he did not belong 
to the train band, he must have used it 
as a dress adjunct and the insignia of 
the gentleman. The boy, Samuel, 
died young. 

The American records of the early 
Tracys are voluminous and fairly 
complete ; they present no perplexing 
problems and the lines are intact, but 
eminent genealogists have been at a 
loss to account for the boyhood of 
Lieutenant Thomas Tracy of ATassa- 
chusetts and Connecticut, the forljear 
of a wiflcspread .-Xmerican family. 



E\\t ^Prng^uij nf ^axntt Unnarrlia in Am^rira 



The most notable of the exhaustive in- 
vestigations in England was made by 
Judge Frederick Pahner Tracy of 
San Francisco, California, the first 
genealogist of the Tracy family. 
The eminent jurist was also a clergy- 
man, and while preaching in Wil- 
liamstown, Massachusetts, in 1844, 
his eyesight failed and he went 
abroad. When in England he vis- 
ited Toddington and was received 
with all the courtesies due kin- 
ship by Lord Sudeley, the Right 
Honourable Charles Hanbury Tracy, 






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ARMS OF LORD SUDELEY IN 1838 

Lord Sudeley was Charles Hanbury Tracy and in- 
herited the heraldry of the royal line— Sir Thomas 
Tracy, Knight, inherited the shield and mask, front 
view and crest — William Tracy, Esquire, of Virginia 
1620, from whom the Tracys in America descend, 
has inherited the shield, mask, profile and crest 

Lord of Toddington Alanor. In his 
searches there he did find a Thomas 
Tracy, a younger son of the same gen- 
eral family of Tracys, who was unac- 
counted for, and who was evidently of 
the same generation as our Lieutenant 
Thomas Tracy and a descendant of 
the Toddington family. As there 
was nothing to conflict with the as- 
sumption that he was the Thomas 
Tracy who came to America he 
thought he was very probably the 
same person. Judge Tracy communi- 
cated the result of his researches to 
Chancellor Walworth, who was then 
compiling his notable "Genealogy of 



the Hyde Family," and he was so im- 
pressed with its importance that he 
presented the matter in full. From 
Ethelred down to and including Sir 
William Tracy, knight (24), who was 
one of the first of the gentry to adopt 
the reformed religion and willed his 
soul to God without the intervention 
of a priest, the line has not been 
broken, but from him down to Lieu- 
tenant Thomas Tracy it is erroneous 
and disproven. 

The reason Judge Tracy could not 
find the right Thomas Tracy was be- 
cause Thomas's father, William 
Tracy, left England without having 
either the births or baptisms of 
his children recorded in the local 
public records. The identification 
must be by circumstances, condi- 
tions, events, and irrefutable evi- 
dences that connect the boy with the 
man. The absence of this birth rec- 
ord led Britton in his account of Tod- 
dington to say that the William Tracy 
who married Mary Conway died s. p. 
(without issue), which misled the 
searchers by its falsity as a record. 
This book, "Historical and Descrip- 
tive Accounts of Toddington, Glouces- 
tershire (England), the Seat of Lord 
Sudeley," by John Britton. F. S. A., 
1840, dedicated to "The Right Hon- 
ourable the Baron Sudeley" (Charles 
Hanbury Tracy), contains the sub- 
stantially true lineage from Ethelred 
down to Lieutenant Thomas Tracy. 
The statement that William Traci was 
a natural son of King Edward is not 
confirmed by earlier and later authori- 
ties. There are other minor discrep- 
ancies. 

The direct evidence, with its docu- 
mentary bearings, its cumulative cir- 
cumstances, and the mass of collateral 
and corroborative records, proves con- 
clusively that the missing period in the 
lives of Thomas Tracy, son of Wil- 
liam Tracy of Hayles and Virginia, 
and Thomas Tracy of Massachusetts 
and Connecticut, links them as one 
and the same person, connecting the 



lubroUru 2Jtur of irsrrnt frmn IKtug lEgbrrt 



strange disappearance of the boy witli 
the stranger appearance of the man. 
To weld these Hnks in the chain still 
more firmly it is well to finally con- 
sider the narrative chronologically 
from its approximate dates. 

In 1620, when William Tracy pro- 
moted the Virginia adventure his son 
was a mere child. It has been shown 
that if he had been far advanced in 
boyhood his father would have given 
him the male's precedence over his 
sister. It is not probable that he was 
more than ten years of age, and it is 
more probcible that he was younger. 
To find a working basis for this chron- 
ological test an approximate may be 
placed at eight years of age. 

It required from five to seven years' 
apprenticeship to learn the trade of 
ship carpentry, and it generally began 
as soon as the boy could prepare lum- 
ber and understand the construction of 
sea-faring vessels. If the eight-year- 
old missing Virginia boy was appren- 
ticed to the trade he would have be- 
gun at about sixteen or seventeen 
years of age, and when he completed 
his time would have been about 
twenty-four years old. In 1636, 
Thomas Tracy, the ship carpenter at 
Salem, was an unmarried youth and 
must have been about twenty-four 
years of age, which is proven by the 
complete records of his later years. 
In 1637, when, according to the rec- 
ords, he was unmarried, he would 
have been twenty-five years of age. 
In 1639 (twenty-seven years of age), 
he was living in Saybrook. Connecti- 
cut, was married, and shared in the 
division of land. In 1660 (forty- 
eight years of age), he was in Nor- 
wich, Connecticut, and had seven 
children. He served twenty-seven 
terms in the General Assembly (there 
were two sessions per year), and died 
at seventy-three years of age in 1685. 

If Thomas Tracy, the missing Vir- 
ginia boy and scion of a gentle family, 
was eight years of age when his father 
promoted Virginia in 1620, he would 



have been just seventy-three years of 
age in 1683, the recorded date and the 
approximate age of Lieutenant Thom- 
as Tracy, the ship carpenter of Mas- 
sachusetts and legislator of Connecti- 
cut, at the time of his death. 

Choose your own approximate 
dates, based on the facts, and make 
vour own computations from any con- 
clusions you may find in the evidence, 
and the result is equally convincing. 

I apply this chronological test to 
ascertain whether or not it will agree 
with the established facts. It proves 
them so mathematically accurate that 
all possibility of coincidence is re- 
moved. The genealogical link is 
welded. The chain from the Saxon 
Kings through William Tracy, gov- 
ernor of Virginia, and his son, Thomas 
Tracy of Virginia, Massachusetts, and 
Connecticut, is complete, and the de- 
scendants of Thomas Tracy in Amer- 
ica are the progeny of the Saxon 
kings. 

The lineage is supported by proof 
more tangible than that of many 
accepted assumptions of science. It 
has a greater preponderance of docu- 
n'entary evidence and relies less on 
faith and suppositions than much 
which we are required to accept from 
therapeutics, astronomy, dynamics, 
and even theology. I believe that in 
the days to come genealogy will be- 
come an established study in the 
science of heredity, but it cannot de- 
mand more formidable proof than the 
established sciences on which life it- 
self depends. 

With the lineage of Lieutenant 
Thomas Tracy, who died at Norwich, 
Connecticut, in 1685, established, and 
the mystery of his early life cleared, it 
is apropos in way of recapitulation to 
recall some of the near kinsfolk : 

His Grandparents: Sir John Tracy. 
Knight, Lord of Toddington and Hayles 
Abbey; Anna Throckmorton, danghter of 
Sir Thomas Throckmorton. 

His Parents: William Tracy. Esqnire, of 
Hayles Abbey. Conncillor of State for 
Virginia and Governor of Berkeley Hnn- 
dred ; Anne Conway, danghter of Sir 



©I|f Prng^uij of B'axon iUouarrI|B in Amrrtra 



John Conway and sister of Lord Viscount 
Conway. 

His Uncles: The Right Honourable, John 
Tracy. First Baron of Rathcoole; Sir 
Thomas Tracy, Grand Usher to the Queen ; 
The Right Honourable, Edward Conway, 
First Lord Viscount of Conway Castle, 
"Lord President of His Majesty's JNIost 
Honourable Privy Council;" Sir Edward 
Bray; Sir William Hobby. 

His First Cousins: 

The Right Honourable, Robert Tracy, 
Second Baron of Rathcole, M. P. ; The 
Right Honourable. Edward Conway. Sec- 
ond Baron of Conway Castle. M. P. ; Sir 
Thomas Conway, Lieutenant Colonel in 
the Army: Frances Conway, married Sir 
William Pelham, Knight: Brilliana Con- 
way, married Sir Robert Harley, Knight; 
Heligawarth Conway, married Sir Wil- 
liam Smith, Knight. 

He had no Brotlicrs; his only sister; 
Joyce Tracy, married in Virginia, Captain 
Nathaniel Powell, "a man of culture who 
kept an account of the occurrences in the 
Colony which were freely used by Cap- 
tain Smith in his History of Virginia." 

The royal lines from the Tracys, 
Conways and the Bridges shoot out 
into so many directions that the blood 
is found in many of the first fam- 
ilies of Great Britain and Amer- 
ica. It is a blood that has produced 
men in all lines of the world's activity, 



that has been the maker of kings of 
an empire and conscientious citizens 
of a republic. 

In using the term "Tracys in 
America" I refer of course to those 
who are descended from the first im- 
migration. Other branches from im- 
migrations later than those of William 
Tracy of Virginia in 1620 are not nec- 
essarily included in my discussion. 
For instance, there was one, Stephen 
Tracy, who came to Plymouth, ^las- 
sachusetts, in the ship "Ann" in 1623, 
who lias distinguished descendants 
through America, among tliem being 
General Benjamin Franklin Tracy, 
former Secretary of the Navy of the 
United States. It may be possible 
that there is a relationshio, but my in- 
vestigations have not yet allowed me 
to definitely settle this matter. 

I inscribe these words to all those 
who are "looking forward to poster- 
ity witli a knowledge gained in look- 
ing backward to ancestry," with the 
admonition of the great Edmund 
Burke who once remarked : "Those 
who do not treasure up the memory 
of their ancestors do not deserve to be 
remembered by posterity." 




VJfj'^- 







ONLY SPECIMEN OF LIEUTENANT THOMAS TRACY'S HANDWRITINc; E.XTANT 



^^■^^ 1\. 1 )WI(;HT TRACY, the genealogist whose years of investigation are 
M B reeorded in this iirochure, has collected, principally from original 
!■ I sources, a vast amount of valuable data concerning the Tracys in 
I ■ America and their marriage alliances. Since the original publication 
^^^^ of his researches in The Journal of American Histciky, many let- 
ters have been received congratulating the author on the results of his 
years of conscientious and indefatigable research. Dr. Tracy's rich 
material is almost inexhaustible in its details and it is of interest to here note that 
he is continuing his investigations with the probability of recording it permanently 
in book form. His home at 46 West Fifty-First Street, Xew York, is a repository 
for all that pertains to the Tracys in America and their English ancestry. Dr. 
Tracy requests the editors of this brochure to cordially invite all persons, of what- 
ever name, who have any connection with the Tracys in America, to consult his 
material or to advise liim on any discoveries that they may have made along the 
same genealogical lines. While it is impossible in the pages of this brochure to 
enter into a discussion of the multitudinous branches, it is especially appropriate 
to here outline the eight generations of Dr. Tracy's own branch from Lieutenant 
Thomas Tracv, which are as follows: 



Branch from the twenty-nine generations of the tabulated Genealogical Record "A Thousand 
Years of Lineage from Saxon Kings," on page 5 of this brochure 

29. Lt. Thomas Tracy, of Massachusetts and Connecticut, iil three times. 
Children all by first wife whose name is unknown. 

30. Daniel Tracy, m. ist Abigail Leffingwell, Mar. 14, 1710-11.. 

31. Daniel Tracy, \w. Abigail Leffingwell. Alar. 14, 1710-11. 
2,2. Samuel Tracy, m. Sybil Lathrop, May 17, 1750. 

2i}i. Zebediah Tracy, ni. 1st Eunice Chaplin Jan. 10, 1788. 

34. Thomas Chaplin Tracy, m. Maria SalTord, Dec. i, 1819. 

35. Dr. Dwight Tracy, m. Jane \'anderbilt Fry, May 25, 1857. 

36. Dr. William Dwight Tracy, m. Margaret Prescott, Sep. 7, 1904. 
2)"] . Dwight Prescott Tracy — \\'illiam Ward Tracy. 

With the genealogical lines established from the Saxon kings to Governor 
William Tracy of \ irginia and his son, Lieutenant Thomas Tracy, of Massachu- 
setts and Connecticut, it is a comparatively easy matter to connect the living heirs 
in America to-day, through the intervening seven or eight generations, from the 
sources familiar to Dr. Tracy, whose investigations entitle him to distinction, not 
only as the genealogist of the Tracy family in America, but as one of the ni<ist 
generous contributors to American genealogical records. 

Francis Trevelvan Miller, 
Editor of The Journal of Aincriam History. 



Press of 

The Associated Publishers of American Records 

Publishers of Genealogies in Editions De Luxe 

New Haven, Connecticut 



Edited by Francis Trevelyan Miller 



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